IT’S a New Year with an exciting new start in more ways than one for two Redditch schools as they join the town’s RSA Academy Arrow Vale in the RSA Academies family.
Students and staff alike at Abbeywood First and Church Hill Middle School returned from the Christmas break to new schools – complete with new names and uniforms.
Abbeywood First School RSA Academy and Church Hill Middle School RSA Academy joined the RSA family on January 1 which will see children at Abbeywood progress all the way through their education to Arrow Vale.
The venture, which is the first of its kind in Redditch, saw students and staff from both sites join those from RSA Academy Arrow Vale and Ipsley CE RSA Academy for a day of workshops and presentations at the RSA building, London in December in preparation for the conversion.
It reinforces the three-tier ‘pyramid’ for the schools in the wake of Tudor Grange and Ridgeway Academies opting to adopt the two-tier system of education progression.
“I’m very proud to be executive head teacher of these two schools and be part of the RSA family of Academies,” said Di Smith, executive head teacher of Abbeywood First School RSA Academy and Church Hill Middle School RSA Academy.
“This is an exciting time for the children and staff – children will have a seamless transition from ages three to 19 and enjoy a wide range of resources as well as collaboration of teaching and learning.
“This is truly unique in Redditch.”
Guy Shears, principal of RSA Academy Arrow Vale, added the news is particularly good for the Redditch community.
“Both of the middle schools in the Arrow Vale Pyramid and our first First School are now part of the same family, enjoying the benefits of being so closely attached to the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.”
